Bishop calls Catholic men to get off sidelines, step 'into the breach'

Tony Gutierrez|
Catholic News Service

10/08/15

PHOENIX - Catholic men must reclaim and live the virtue of
Christian masculinity, Phoenix Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted says
in his newly released apostolic exhortation, "Into the Breach."

Addressed to Catholic men in the diocese - "my spiritual
sons" as the bishop calls them - it charges them to be
prepared for spiritual battle for their souls and the souls
of their families.

The name of the exhortation is taken from a passage from the
Book of Ezekiel: "And I sought for a man among them who
should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me
for the land."

Citing statistics about the decreasing involvement in parish
life and participation in the sacraments, the bishop notes
that "while we know that Christ welcomes back every repentant
sinner, the truth is that large numbers of Catholic men are
failing to keep the promises they made at their children's
baptisms - promises to bring them to Christ and to raise them
in the faith of the church."

In defining what it means to be a Catholic man, Bishop
Olmsted says that Jesus, fully God and fully man, is the
perfection of masculinity. "Only in Jesus Christ can we find
the highest display of masculine virtue and strength that we
need in our personal lives and in society itself."

Bishop Olmsted offers the saints as models of masculinity,
recommending male saints such as St. Joseph, St. Francis of
Assisi, St. Thomas More, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati and
others as examples.

Bishop Olmsted then asks: How does a Catholic man love? He
describes the types of masculine love: as friend, husband and
father. Stressing the importance of men finding a "band of
brothers" to join in Christian fraternity, he offers examples
in the diocesan men's conferences, Knights of Columbus, That
Man Is You program and Cursillo movement.

"We see that Jesus called his disciples to himself in such a
way that they would form deep bonds of friendship and
brotherhood," Bishop Olmsted says. "I am convinced that if
men will seek true brotherhood, the adversities we face today
will solidify bands of brothers who will be lauded in
heaven!" adds the bishop.

Regarding how a man loves as a husband, he challenges young
men to prepare for marriage before meeting their future
brides. "Such training in sacrifice is to love your bride
before you meet her, so that you may one day say, 'Before I
knew you, I was faithful to you.'"

Speaking to those called to be husbands, he reminds them of
St. Paul's exhortation for husbands to love their wives as
Christ loves the church. "This is the glory, men! Called to
marriage, you are called to be as Christ to your bride.

"We need to see masculine chastity for what it is, whereas
too often, this virtue is seen in negative light, as
something weak," adds the bishop. "Chastity is strength and a
rejection of slavery to the passions. Christians have always
believed that chastity, whether in marriage or celibacy, is a
freedom from the enslavement to sin and our passions."

Tackling the sins of pornography and masturbation, he says
that while the culture wrongly encourages these
"narcissistic" habits, they do nothing more than teach men to
use others.

"Think of pornography as just as serious and no less grave
than adultery," he says. "To attempt to love another person
while engaging in this practiced narcissism, without being
transformed by mercy, will surely bring grave harm."

By considering the contexts of temptations, we are able to
invite God to send His grace, says the bishop, adding that in
the sacrament of confession is found "superabundant grace and
support."

"Through building purity of heart, men, you will not only see
God in the women in your lives but also in yourselves, also
the 'image of God'! Even if the darkness seems
insurmountable, Christ never abandons us."

Moving into the final section of his exhortation, Bishop
Olmsted notes that the number of children born to unmarried
homes has increased 700 percent since 1950, adding that there
are those in the culture who don't see fatherlessness as a
problem.

"Do not be fooled by those voices wishing to erase all
distinctions between mothers and fathers, ignoring the
complementarity that is inherent in creation itself," he
says. "Step up and lovingly, patiently take up your God-given
role as protector, provider and spiritual leader of your
home. A father's role as spiritual head of the family must
never be understood or undertaken as domination over others,
but only as a loving leadership and a gentle guidance for
those in your care."

Fatherhood, whether in a family or through the priesthood,
reflects imperfectly the fatherhood of God, Bishop Olmsted
says.

"To fully live, all men must be fathers and live out their
fatherhood!" says Bishop Olmsted. "If you do not embrace the
spousal and fatherly vocation God has planned for you, you
will be stuck in the impotence of the 'seed' that refuses to
die and refuses to give life. Don't settle for this
half-life! The question for every man is not, 'Am I called to
be a father?' but rather, 'What kind of father am I called to
be?'"

In a special section devoted to grandfathers, Bishop Olmsted
remembers his own grandfathers, who passed along to him
faith, the value of hard work, and a respect for all other
people and for God's creation.

Bishop Olmsted also has a message for those whose fathers
were absent in their lives. "There are many reasons why men
abandon their responsibilities, or even if they remain, stay
distant, as a result of the lack of positive experience of
fatherhood in their own lives," he says. "This wound in your
heart may not yet have healed. Allow Christ to show
you the Father who never abandons his children, but rather
offers his only begotten Son."

He encourages those who have failed in their role as a
father, to ask God the Father to guide them and to seek
renewal in prayer and the sacrament of reconciliation.

The bishop concludes his exhortation with a call to action:

"We need to get off the sidelines and stand up for life on
the front lines. We need faith like that of our fathers who
defended the children of previous generations and who gave up
their own lives rather than abandon their faith in Christ. My
sons and brothers, men of the Diocese of Phoenix, we need you
to step into the breach!"